The Armada Awakens

In the vast, private docks of Elias Vance Corporation, something that had never moved before began to stir.

Word spread through the Universal Hub's communication networks with the speed of light—the first sighting of Elias Vance's personal fleet in motion. For years, everyone had known he possessed incredible wealth, but few had realized the true extent of his military capabilities.

"Are you seeing this?" gasped Commander Thex Nular, a grizzled veteran who ran a mercenary fleet for hire. He was standing on the observation deck of his ship, staring through enhanced scrying arrays at the Vance Corporation docks. "Those aren't transport vessels. Those are war ships. tens of thousands of them."

His second-in-command, a young woman named Kira, pulled up holographic displays showing the fleet composition. "Sir, I'm reading energy signatures that exceed most univversal navy flagships. And that's just the escort vessels. The central ship... I can't even get a proper reading on it."

The Aegis, Elias's personal flagship, dominated the center of the formation. What had once been a sleek exploration vessel had been transformed into something that challenged the definition of "ship" entirely. It was three kilometers long, its obsidian hull inscribed with geometric patterns that hurt to look at directly. The patterns weren't decorative—they were functional arrays that allowed the ship to manipulate space-time around itself.

But it was the escort fleet that truly staggered observers. Two thousand vessels arranged in perfect geometric formation, each one a masterpiece of Elias's technological optimization. Heavy cruisers that could level continents. Fast attack ships that moved faster than light without using conventional FTL drives. Support vessels that could manufacture entire fleets from raw materials in real-time.

"This isn't a research expedition," whispered Captain Jorik of the Stellar Wanderer, watching the formation through his ship's sensors. "This is an invasion force."

Universal Panic

Across the Universal Hub, panic began to spread as word of the armada's movement reached various factions and powers.

In the emergency session chamber of the Universal Trade Alliance, President Vex Moren slammed his gavel repeatedly, trying to restore order to the chaos of shouting delegates.

"Order! ORDER!" he bellowed. "We need to assess the situation rationally!"

"Rationally?" shrieked the representative from the Andromedae Systems. "The being who erased Zorak from existence is mobilizing a war fleet! How do we respond rationally to that?"

"We don't respond at all," said the elder delegate from the Void Walker Coalition, his ancient voice carrying the weight of eons. "We pray to whatever gods we still believe in that he's not coming for us."

Emergency broadcasts flooded communication networks across seventeen different galactic clusters:

BREAKING: Elias Vance Fleet Movement Detected - All Civilian Traffic Advised to Avoid Sector 7-Alpha

URGENT: Unknown Destination of Vance Armada - Defensive Positions Recommended for All Major Powers

MARKET UPDATE: Universal Credits Down 47% on Vance Fleet News - Investors Panic-Selling

On the observation decks of countless ships and stations, beings who had thought themselves safe in the post-Zorak universe watched in terror as the formation moved through space with impossible precision.

"Look at that formation," breathed Admiral Kess of the Joint Defense Force. "Perfect geometric alignment across two thousand vessels. No communication delays, no course corrections. It's like they're all controlled by a single mind."

Her tactical officer nodded grimly. "Because they are, sir. Every ship in that fleet is operated by AI systems designed by Elias Vance personally. They're not just ships—they're extensions of his will."

Aboard the Aegis, the duplicate Elias stood on a command bridge that existed in seventeen dimensions simultaneously. He could see not just their current location, but every possible route to their destination, every potential threat, every contingency that might arise.

"Destination confirmed: Techno-Magic Civilization Universe, Nexus Point 7-Alpha-42," reported the ship's AI in a voice that was eerily similar to his own—because he had designed it to think the way he did.

"All vessels report ready for interdimensional transit," came reports from the escort fleet.

Through quantum entanglement communications, he maintained constant contact with his original self, who was still in the workshop with Kaelen.

"How do you feel about being in command of a fleet that's terrifying the entire known universe?" the original Elias asked through their shared consciousness.

"Efficient," the duplicate replied. "Fear reduces the likelihood of interference. We can focus on the research without worrying about ambitious factions attempting to follow us."

"And if they do follow?"

The duplicate Elias looked out at the formation of warships surrounding him, each one capable of sterilizing entire star systems if necessary. "Then they will learn why Zorak's fate was a mercy."

In his workshop, the original Elias felt Kaelen's hand squeeze his as she listened to both sides of the conversation through their shared consciousness.

"Be careful," she said softly. "Both of you. Our child deserves to meet their father—all of him."

"We will return," both versions of Elias said simultaneously. "That is not a hope or a promise. That is a mathematical certainty."

The space around the Aegis began to ripple as massive amounts of energy built up for the interdimensional jump. Nearby ships scrambled to get clear of the departure zone, their crews staring in awe at the raw power being displayed.

"Initiating dimensional breach," the Aegis announced. "All vessels, prepare for transit."

A tear in reality itself opened before the fleet—not the crude dimensional rifts that most beings used for travel, but a carefully crafted tunnel that preserved the structural integrity of space-time around it. The formation began to move forward, disappearing ship by ship into the swirling vortex of possibility.

As the Aegis passed through the breach, the duplicate Elias took one last look at the universe he was leaving behind. Somewhere in the vast expanse of space, his original self sat with Kaelen, protecting the most precious thing they had created together.

Soon, he would return with the knowledge needed to ensure that nothing in the multiverse could ever threaten his family.

The portal closed behind them, leaving only empty space where the most powerful fleet in the known universe had just been.

Across the cosmos, beings who had held their breath finally exhaled, then immediately began making contingency plans for what would happen when Elias Vance returned.

Because everyone understood, with crystal clarity, that this was not goodbye.

This was reconnaissance.

And when the richest, most powerful being in the multiverse returned from his research expedition, the universe would never be the same again.

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